Xu Huaiqian didn't know what was going on, but Gu Fengchao understood completely.
That day after leaving Xu Huaiqian's home, he rode straight to the capital. He was willing to give up his official's black hat to bring down the prefect of Yong'an!
He knew that if the prefect of Yong'an—this great mountain—wasn't removed from their path, neither he, Xu Huaiqian, nor the magistrates of Taoyuan and Mishan counties would ever see a way out.
They might even face retaliation from the prefect.
On his journey from Taoyuan County to Xinghua Village, he had seen too many people whose lives had changed and who were now full of vitality.
He didn't want these people, who had just found hope and purpose, to return to their former numb and confused existence, not knowing why they lived.
Xu Huaiqian and the magistrates below had already transformed people's lives and spirits; now, he would move this last great mountain.
In the Golden Luan Hall.
The Emperor had just received the evidence of the prefect of Yong'an's crimes from his secret investigators. At the morning court session, his face was dark, like a demon wrapped in malice, urgently needing to vent his anger by devouring something.
The court officials below sensed the Emperor's mood but had no idea what was happening. They held their breath, not daring to make a sound.
They were afraid any movement might anger their unpredictable Emperor and get them dragged out and beheaded.
"Boom! Boom! Boom-boom-boom!"
Just as the ministers were anxiously and cautiously reporting their affairs, the sound of drumbeats came from outside the Meridian Gate. The drumming grew closer, clearer, and louder, making everyone's hearts uneasy.
The nervous court officials all felt their eyelids twitch. Could something major have happened again?
Their premonition was accurate.
Hearing the sudden drumming, the Emperor's sharp brows raised like swords: "Who is beating the drum?"
Like all government offices, the palace had a drum and bell for reporting grievances. But unlike local offices, where officials had to hold court when the bell rang, anyone who beat the drum outside the palace had to endure sixty strokes, whether their grievance was justified or not. Only those who survived the sixty strokes could enter the palace for an audience—and those who made it through were either half-dead or crippled.
In all the years since the founding of the Jin Dynasty, no one had ever beaten that drum. Even people with grievances went to county offices, not the palace. The Emperor was curious: who had such courage?
A eunuch went out briefly and soon returned to report: "Your Majesty, the one beating the drum is Gu Fengchao, magistrate of Yong'an Prefecture in Changnan. He accuses Tai Anxiang, prefect of Yong'an, of corruption, bribery, and embezzling public property."
It was like a pillow handed to someone ready to sleep. The Emperor, who had just received evidence against the prefect of Yong'an that morning, was wondering how to address the matter when Gu Fengchao, magistrate of Yong'an, appeared.
A subordinate accusing his superior—interesting.
The Emperor's stern face lifted: "Summon him!"
With that one word, Gu Fengchao was exempted from the sixty strokes.
After beating the drum, Gu Fengchao had prepared to endure the sixty strokes, but instead, he was directly led into the Golden Luan Hall by a palace attendant.
He had only been here once before, when he passed the imperial exams. Now, facing all the civil and military officials whose ranks far exceeded his and the Emperor seated above wearing the imperial crown, he felt a mix of emotions.
He didn't know if he would leave this hall alive today.
The court officials turned one by one to look toward the entrance.
They saw Gu Fengchao, dressed in a wrinkled blue official robe, looking travel-worn as he stepped into the hall. Resolutely, he removed his black official hat and placed it at the entrance of the Golden Luan Hall. Then he knelt, presenting a small bundle with both hands, his voice firm and clear: "This guilty official, Gu Fengchao, accuses Tai Anxiang, prefect of Yong'an, of forming cliques for personal gain, corruption, and accepting bribes."
The court officials watched his determination with varied expressions. Forming cliques, corruption, bribery—what official hadn't done these? It wasn't as if his family had been destroyed; why make such a fuss?
Some admired his courage for daring to appeal to the Emperor over such a matter, but also shook their heads inwardly.
Too much rigidity leads to breakage—the young are still too young.
Only a very few felt their eyelids twitch at the mention of Yong'an Prefecture. If they remembered correctly, a few days ago, the Emperor had sent someone to the Ministry of Personnel to retrieve the performance evaluations of Changnan.
Could the Emperor's black mood today be because of this?
The Emperor ignored the ministers' thoughts. With a glance, he had the eunuch beside him take the small bundle from Gu Fengchao. His tone was harsh: "You, a mere seventh-rank magistrate, dare leave your post without permission and falsely accuse your superior? That warrants an even heavier punishment!"
"This guilty official knows!" Of course Gu Fengchao understood. When he decided to appeal to the Emperor, he hadn't expected to leave the Golden Luan Hall alive. "But if I did not come today, the people of Yong'an would never see a way out. For their future happiness and peace, even if I die, I must seek justice for them!"
He had thought it over: rather than idly neglecting his duties in Yong'an, it was better to come to the capital boldly and gamble everything.
If he died, at least he had tried. If he succeeded, the people under his governance would have more hope in their lives.
Gu Fengchao's determination to serve the people deeply moved the Emperor. In investigating the prefect of Yong'an's bribery and manipulation of performance evaluations, he had encountered officials who abused power, engaged in corruption, and enjoyed unearned gains—a bunch of good-for-nothings.
Yet, among such rotten courtiers, there was still such a resolute and upright official. It was like finding a good shoot in a clump of bad bamboo—heartening.
But when he opened the evidence presented by Gu Fengchao, though he had seen it before, the shocking figures inside made him furious all over again.
"People's hard-earned resources are meant to be taken from the people and used for the people—not for filling your own pockets and satisfying personal desires!"
"Minister of Personnel, take a good look!" The Emperor threw the evidence directly at the face of the Minister of Personnel standing in the front row.
The weight of the many sheets of paper was not light. The Minister of Personnel, struck hard and in pain, didn't dare complain. He picked up the papers, his hands trembling, and immediately knelt with a thud.
"Your Majesty, forgive me! It is my failure in governance—I did not discipline or restrain my subordinates, allowing them to commit such monstrous crimes!"
"A mere prefect embezzled three hundred thousand taels of silver in ten years!" The Emperor was so angry his organs trembled. "If I recall correctly, Yong'an Prefecture is not wealthy. Its annual tax revenue is only a few thousand taels. How could he embezzle three hundred thousand?!"
"Your Majesty, forgive us! We have failed in our duties!" As the Emperor raged, the Minister of Personnel knelt, and all the officials from the Ministry of Personnel followed suit.
They didn't know how the lower officials engaged in corruption—or if they did, they could only kneel and play dumb.
"Layer upon layer of exploitation," they didn't dare say, but Gu Fengchao did. "Not just taxes—every prominent shop in the city must pay 'tribute silver' to the prefect every month and year. If they don't pay, they can't operate in the prefectural city. Merchants have to hold their noses and pay to do business."
"And then there's the examination compound," since he expected to die today, Gu Fengchao grew bolder. "The prefect controls the supplies for the exams. He first forces examinees to buy materials at high prices, but gives them items that look good are actually useless. Even food and essentials are withheld. This way, he spends very little each year but earns a huge income."
"Examinees coming to the prefectural city suffer greatly each year. They not only face the harsh conditions of the exam compound but also endure hunger and cold. Testing in such an environment—forget passing; just staying healthy is an achievement."
"A scholar in my jurisdiction, talented and insightful in current affairs and people's livelihoods, fell seriously ill after leaving the exam compound due to weakness— not enough to eat or wear—and even went blind."
Speaking of this, Gu Fengchao felt a chill. He had learned this in Xinghua Village. If someone as brilliant as Xu Huaiqian really went blind and couldn't serve as an official, what a great loss it would be for the Jin Dynasty.
"Are these words true?!" The Emperor was deeply distressed to hear that a talented scholar with unique insights into current affairs and people's livelihoods had gone blind due to exam compound supplies.
Such capable ministers were exactly what his court lacked now!
"It is true!" Although Gu Fengchao had hurried to the capital, he had also heard some gossip there and knew that Xu Huaiqian's imitation silver frost charcoal was popular in the capital. He immediately said, "It's the same scholar who produced the imitation silver frost charcoal. If Your Majesty doesn't believe me, you can send someone to investigate."
"Fortunately, his husband never left him, feeding him good food and medicine every day, and eventually cured his eyes."
When the Emperor heard that the talented scholar who created the imitation silver frost charcoal had gone blind, his heart ached even more. He had seen the imitation silver frost charcoal—if handled properly, it could benefit the people across the land.
A person who could create something like imitation silver frost charcoal to help people while still a Xiucai—what earth-shattering achievements might he accomplish after passing the provincial and imperial exams and seeing the broader world? To think such a person was nearly destroyed over mere supplies was like gouging out the heart and liver for the Emperor, who was eager to reform the court.
He wished he could immediately have the prefect of Yong'an torn apart.
But when he heard Gu Fengchao say that his eyes had been cured, the Emperor's heartache gradually faded.
Thank goodness he was cured.
If he hadn't been, the Emperor would likely have dug up the prefect's corpse for posthumous whipping every year.